Method for inflating a balloon



Se t. 30, 1969 J. M. cams ETAL METHOD FOR INFLATING A BALLOON Filed Oct. 24'. 1967 lllllllllrllllll CLOSED POSITION FIG. 4,

OPEN POSITION S R L O H T O NAPT ER .8 VCA N Y L. LE EE M U W A JRP ROY MILLER ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O METHOD FOR INFLATING A BALLOON Jimmie M. Craig, China Lake, Calif., and Russell A. Pohl and Paul E. Yost, Sioux Falls, S.D., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to the United States of Amerlea as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Oct. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 677,795 Int. Cl. B64b 1/58 U.S. Cl. 244-31 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and means for inflating a hot air balloon supporting a load aloft which comprises providing peripheral ports located along the equator of a balloon between the vertical seams of each gore and so shaped as to scoop air. When the balloon is launched ram air enters through the ports thereby inflating the balloon in a few seconds.

GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and means for inflating a hot air balloon.

Launching a balloon carrying a payload has presented varied problems. Parachutes have been used to deliver people, support materials, munitions, flares, etc., and have often failed as a result of tearing or fouling of the parachute and sometimes disconnection thereof. Many etforts have been made to overcome these difliculties such as use of auxiliary drag parachutes to slow down the payload assembly prior to opening or suspension of the main chute. Inflation of a hot air balloon adapted to support a payload aloft in a matter of seconds presented even more difliculty. The present invention provides a method and means for facilitating rapid inflation of such a balloon and because of the low deployment shock will not require reefing of the balloon envelope at high delivery speeds.

SUMMARY In accordance with the present invention peripheral ports are positioned along the equator of a balloon structure composed of a plurality of vertical gores seamed to gether at their vertical edges. Each gore consists of two segments which are overlapped forming scoop-like ports. When the balloon is launched ram air enters these ports thereby inflating it in only a matter of seconds. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for rapid inflation of a balloon efliciently at altitudes ranging from 500 to 15,000 feet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a balloon and 3,469,805 Patented Sept. 30, 1969 ice DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings FIG. 1 illustrates a balloon 10 carrying a payload 11 at deployment or launch and just prior to the release of balloon housing 12. Balloon 10 is formed in vertical gores generally designated by numeral 13 which are joined at their vertical edges by seams. Each gore consists of two segments or sections, an upper section 14 and a lower section 15. The lower section 15 is cut wider than upper section 14 which overlaps the lower section 15 as shown in FIG. 3 by several inches forming a peripheral port 16 about the equator of balloon 10 between the gore seams 17. Peripheral. port 16 is shaped so that it will scoop air.

The balloon material is of a conventional type such as nylon. It must be lightweight, nonporous, flexible and act as a gas barrier.

As shown in FIG. 2 payload 11 is supported beneath the balloon by load lines 18 suitably attached at the lower end of the balloon.

In operation when balloon 10 is launched at from 500 to 15,000 feet at a speed ranging from to 600 miles per hour ram air enters the ports 16 fully inflating the balloon as shown in FIG. 2 in from 1 to 5 seconds. Ports 16 are closed as shown in FIG. 4 when the balloon is inflated and are held closed by the hydrostatic pressure from within the balloon envelope pressing against the overlapping segments which form each gore.

What is claimed is:

1. A hot air balloon structure adapted to support a load aloft comprising:

a balloon envelope formed of a plurality of vertical gores of nonporous, lightweight, flexible, gas barrier material joined together at their vertical edges by seams and shaped with a rounded upper end and a downward tapered lower end; said gores consisting of an upper segment and a lower segment, said lower segment being wider than said upper segment which overlaps said lower segment by several inches thereby forming a port positioned about the equator of said balloon between said seams; said upper segment being closed at its upper end to form the apex of said balloon; and said port being shaped so that it will scoop air when said balloon is launched at from 500 to 15,000 feet at a speed ranging from 100 to 600 miles per hour thereby inflating said balloon and closing said ports by hydrostatic pressure from within the balloon envelope pressing against the overlapping portions of said segments which form each of said gores.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,562,258 11/1925 Russell 244- 3,131,889 5/1964 Yost 244-31 3,168,266 2/ 1965 Yost 244-138 3,366,345 1/1968 Pohl et a1 244-31 X MILTON B UCHLER, Primary Examiner JEFFREY L. FORMAN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 244-145 

